1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to wheeled hand dollies and more specifically relates to a wheeled dolly for transporting cylindrical objects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wheeled carts such as the wheelbarrow have been a staple of transporting goods for centuries. The convenience of being able to carry a greater load with much less effort has made wheeled carts commonplace and such carts are deemed highly useful in transporting selected goods. A variety of cart configurations such as shopping carts, golf handcarts, and personal luggage carts are commonly used in today""s society. Such carts are typically configured to transport a certain type of good or group of goods. For instance, it is common to move furniture or heavy appliances with a furniture dolly. A typical furniture dolly for example includes a rectangular frame supporting a set of wheels and a lower noseplate which slides underneath the appliance to be lifted to support it from below. Thus, all or most of the weight is supported on the noseplate and some is transferred to the frame as the dolly is tilted backward. Often the handler will secure the appliance to the dolly using a rope or strap that is tied to the frame of the dolly. However, the incorporation of this noseplate often causes damage to the surface below the appliance or interferes with the loading or unloading of the item being transported. Thus, there have developed a number of attempts to provide a wheeled hand dolly eliminating the use of the noseplate.
One such attempt can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,429,432 to Irrgang. The hand truck disclosed in Irrgang includes a flexible band used to secure a cylinder to a rectangular frame having a series of cross members acting as frictional members and therefore must conform to the surface of the cylinder to optimize frictional resistance. Thus, the truck is likely to be limited in use to a particular size cylinder.
Another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,477,294 to Fuller. The Fuller hand truck relies on a circular hinged band carried from a rectangular frame to secure an article such as an oxygen bottle. The band dimensions are substantially fixed however, and would not support a wide range of cylinder diameters.
Yet another proposed configuration can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,654,493 to Kernkamp which describes an oxygen tank truck consisting of a frame having vertical side bars and a top mounted handle bar with a tank receiving saddle secured to the lower ends of the bars. A clamp including front and rearjaws is carried by the side bars and is positioned to encircle the upper portion of the tank. The truck is mounted on a tricycle platform with a rear foldable bracket supporting the third wheel. As in the Fuller device, the clamp has fixed dimensions and could not accommodate a variety of cylindrical configurations.
Another dolly configuration is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,937 to Fawley. The Fawley carrier includes a hook for insertion under a gas cylinder having a top portion configured to receive such hook to support its weight and thus is limited to a particular type of cylindrical configuration.
A barrel truck is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 879,914 to Schriver. Schriver discloses a barrel truck which includes a frame and a chain used in conjunction with a pair of forwardly extending feet to support the weight of a barrel. Thus, the feet may interfere with the placement of the barrel or damage and underlying surface. The use of the chain may facilitate slippage of the barrel if transported over an uneven surface.
As is apparent from these references, a common shortcoming running through all these prior cart designs is the absence of a cart frame that includes an adjustable restraining means and a frame that can accommodate a variety of cylindrical dimensions and frictionally retain the cylinder thereto without the need of a noseplate.
What is needed is a convenient wheeled dolly, formed with a durable rigid frame for transporting cylindrical objects of a variety of cylindrical dimensions without interfering with the loading and unloading thereof.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a wheeled dolly is provided for loading, unloading, and transporting cylindrical objects to alternate locations. The dolly includes, generally, a pair of spaced apart vertical support members forming a contact support surface and joined at an intermediate section by a cross member. An adjustable restraining strap is secured to one end of the cross member and includes a free end with an attachment member such that the strap may encircle the cylindrical object and be fastened to the opposing end of the cross member and tightened. The strap includes an interior surface forming a second contact surface and when tightened sandwiches the cylinder between said contact surfaces to frictionally retain the cylinder to the dolly during transport.
Another feature of the present invention is the incorporation of a pair of fail-safe feet which project from the lower ends of the vertical support members to support the bottom of the cylinder without interfering with the loading or unloading of the cylindrical object.
Yet another feature of the present invention is the use of a cross member having a plurality of spaced apart holes for receipt of a hook attached to the free end of the strap for accommodating cylinders of varying diameters.